Speech #860239356

In 1907. In 1954. Williams was arrested as an alien who had joined the Communist Party. and ordered to be deported to the country from whence he came. Today. after having lived his entire adult life in the United States he is under final order for deportation to return to Great Britain on June 15. because our law provides that an alien is deportable if he joined the Communist Party subsequent to his being admitted to the United States. Mr. Williams has exhausted his remedies in our courts. The immigration law is clear that he is subject to deportation for the political beliefs that he held. though obviously he developed those beliefs while being raised and educated in America. There are other aspects to this case which would lead one to question the wisdom of resorting to such radical penalties as deportation. There is reason to believe that Williams. for much of his adult life. thought he was a citizen of the United States. and was not told by his parents he was born in Wales. When his case was before the district court in Michigan. senior Judge Arthur F. Lederle. while recognizing the legality of the proceedings against Williams by the Immigration Service. stated: Whatever views he acquired as to the relative merits of different types of government came from our public school system. news media and contacts with nativeborn companions. It was but natural for him to assume he had the right of freedom of thought. freedom of expression. and freedom of association. Had he been born a year later. he could not now be banished to a foreign land for exercising those rights.